Improved attachment to sewing-machines



E. ALEXANDER.

Sewing Machine.

No. 16,518. Patented Feb. 3, 1857.

o "6 fin that the following is a full, clear, and exact sewing-machinehaving my improvement atvoperation an apparatus which shall, when let onwhich it is sewed; but this of itself does not confine the cloth so thatit will be sewed PATENT @rrnca.

ELISA ALEXANDER, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED ATTACHMENT TO SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l6,5l, dated February 218.37.

TortZZ whom it 17mg concern.-

Be it known that I, ELISA ALEXANDER, of New York, county of New York,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin the Method of Vork- 1 ing Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declaredescription of the same, reference being made to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specification, in which Figure I is a front viewor elevation of a tached. Fig. II is a side view; and similar lettersindicatesimilar parts throughout.

My invention consists in combining with a sewing-machine of ordinaryconstruction and sewing straight seams, take off the work as fast asfinished, practically in the same man ner as it is now taken off orguided away by the hand of the operators, and whereby when the machinesare driven by power one operative is enabled to attend several machinesi11- stead of being, as heretofore, confined to a single machine.

In the ordinary working of a sewing-machine the feed-motion issufficient to move the cloth. along and deliver it off the plate ortabin a straight line, and therefore even in such sewing an operativemust take the end of the work as it comes from the feed and draw it outin a straight line to securea straight seam, or must otherwise guide itto produce that work. This requires his constant attention as is wellknown to the operations of the single machine. By my improvement he isenabled after starting the work to put it in train to be so continued tothe end of the cloth with out further attention on his part.

I will describe the construction of my improvement as combined with asewing machine of the kind commonly known as Wheeler 85 IVilsons. An endview of one of these is shown in Fig. I, having its own perfect feedingparts, as usual in that machine. At one side of this, being that onwhich the sewed work is delivered, I place a cylindrical roller, 0,which is so mounted that its upper line will be about in the plane ofthe surface of the plate of the machine. This roller is affixed upon ashaft, 'U, which is connected, as clearly shown, by a suitable train ofgearing and belts, with the shaft (1, from which the sewing-machine isdriven, the said train being so proportioned that the speed of theperiphery of the roller (6 shall be the same as that of the feed.Immediately over this roller can be made to press upon the lower onewith any desired degree of force. The connection of the frame 6 with thearm f being by a single pin. as shown, the roller 0 will always adjustitself to a contact throughout its length with the roller a or with. thecloth between.

The operation will be as follows: Anumbcr of the machines being placedin line and driven by steam or other suitable power, the work is to becommenced by the operative on one of them, and a few inches sewed in theusual" manner, or until enough has been delivered to extend to the lineof contact of the rollers a and c. He then places the end between these,

the necessary pressure being given by the setscrew 7; to insure thepinch requisite to carry off the work, which will now be drawn away fromthe needle in a perfectly straight line, and hence an inexperienced handmay by this improvement produce better work than a practiced one in theordinary method, 'even when using the guides sometimes employed toassist in keeping the work in line. One ma chine being thus set to work,another may be started, and so on until from the length of the scam thefirst again require s attention. O11 comparatively short lines ofstitching-such as short bosoms, &c.-a single operative is enabled toattend as many as four machines, and a still greater number when thescams or lines are of greater length.

I claim as of my invention and desire to secure .by Letters Patent ofthe United States Combining the mechanism of the guiding and conveyingrollers a and c with the mechanism operating a sewing-machine having anindependent feed in such a manner that the said rollers shall guideautomatically the finished-Work away from the machine in a straight lineby revolving in opposite directions With a speed regulatedby that of themachine.

ELISA ALEXANDER. XVitnesses:

S. H. MAYNARD, THOMAS DUCEY.

